The Amherst Bulldogs’ varsity basketball team won their Springlake-Earth Tournament- opener over the host team Wolverines, 3818.
Both teams got off to a slow start in the opening quarter, as Joel Garcia got the scoring going with a layup off of the assist from Rafael Bueno to put the Bulldogs in front, 2-0, with 3:27 to play in the first quarter. Joel Garcia followed it up with a three from the right elbow to stretch their lead to, 5-0, but in the closing seconds of the quarter, Edward Soto dropped in a lay-up, trimming the lead to, 5-2, heading into quarter number two.
Guillermo Pacheco buried a three for Amherst to open the second frame and with 5:03 to play in the half, Aiden Rodriguez dropped in a lay-up on the left side, off of the assit from Oscar Contreras, pushing their lead to, 10-2.
With 2:57 remaining in the half, Amherst Coach Ramon Cueva took a time out to talk things over. Out of the break, Joel Garcia passed the ball inside to Bueno, who was fouled on the attempt by Robert Flores. Bueno converted both shots at the line to stretch their lead to double-digits, 12-2.
With 1:29 to play in the half, Joel Garcia dropped in a lay-up off of the assist from Fabian Reyes and Pacheco followed it up with a floater off the glass to push their lead to, 16-2, with under a minute to go in the half.
Springlake-Earth took a time out with 43.3 seconds to play in the half, but out of the break, Pacheco would pick up a steal, dishing the outlet pass ahead to Rodriguez for the fast-break lay-up to close out the half, with the Bulldogs in front, 18-2.
Contreras dropped in a lay-up off of the inbound pass to open the second half, but Froylan Agundiz answered with a lay-up on the left side, drawing an andone foul on Joel Garcia. The free throw was good, trimming the lead to, 20-5.
Pacheco responded with a lay-up off of the assist from Rodriguez, and on the Bulldog’s next possession, Rodriguez drove the lane, dumping it off to Joel Garcia for the lay-up, extending their lead to, 24-5. With just over three minutes to play in the third quarter, Reyes was fouled on an attempt by Kaylob Frietze. He made one-of-two shots at the line, pushing the lead to, 25-5.
With just under two minutes to play in the quarter, Joel Garcia scored a putback off of the miss by Rodriguez and he followed it up with a lay-up off of an assist from Pacheco, stretching their lead to, 295. Frietze ended the scoring drought with a lay-up for the Wolverines, but on the other end Joel Garcia was fouled on an attempt by Agundiz, earning a trip to the line.
Joel Garcia sank one-oftwo free throws at the line and Rodriguez closed out the third quarter with a three from the left wing, pushing their lead to, 33-7, going into the final quarter of play.
Bryan Longoria drove the middle for a lay-up to open the fourth quarter for Springlake-Earth, trimming the lead to, 33-9. Pacheco answered on the other end, hitting a cutting Rodriguez for a lay-up to make the score, 35-9.
With 6: 25 remaining, Frietze dropped in a lay-up to trim the lead to, 35-11. Rodriguez was fouled on an attempt by Frietze, earning a trip to the line. He converted one- of- two free throws to push the lead to, 36-11. With 4:16 left to play, Frietze grabbed a steal from Contreras and took it the other way for a fast-break lay-up, trimming the lead to, 36-13.
With just over a minute to play, Sebastian Sanchez knocked down a jumper from the right elbow off of the assist from Isaac Harrison, but on the other end, Pacheco dropped in a lay-up off of the assist from Bueno, pushing the lead back out to, 38-15. In the closing seconds, Sanchez drained a three from the left elbow, off of the assist from Harrison, making the score, 38-18, as the Bulldogs took down the Wolverines in the first round of the Springlake-Earth Tournament.
Joel Garcia led the Bulldogs in scoring with 14 points, and he was joined in double-figures scoring by Rodriguez, who netted 10 points. Pacheco tallied nine points, while Contreras and Bueno each added two points and Reyes finished with one point in the contest.
The Wolverines were led by Frietze, who tallied six points and Sanchez, who finished with five points. Agundiz chipped in three points, while Longoria and Soto each finished with two points in the contest.